Personal Protection with the camper

[Jayflight]

Since I have owned RVs there has always been a discussion with SWMBO on how much stuff we should carry. Its always been "well you never know" when picking and choosing spare parts, tools and especially freshwater. I am the outside and worry wart person as I always look at things as if I don't have it and we are broken down I always want to make her as comfortable as possible.

Of course in a retort she mostly says in her scorning voice as she deals with creature comfort and belly filling needs, with toiletries and everything inside "I AIN'T GOT NO ROOM FOR THIS THAT AND THE OTHER". The discussion continues before leaving finally saying "NUFF, LETS GO"

Thank heavens she is unarmed when we get to the campsite and fires off some warning shots as I begin backing up and ALWAYS know where the backend of the camper will end up as it appears its headed towards a low hanging tree along side of the campsite. But she sure loves hand signals and has her favorite open carry weapon "YOU ARE GOING TO SLEEP WITH DOG TONIGHT"

So have any of you folks had any close calls, as described?

 

[Boat Bum]

Re: her favorite open carry weapon "YOU ARE GOING TO SLEEP WITH DOG TONIGHT"

I don't see the problem here.

 

[Oldgator73]

I’m sure we have. We started fulltiming in 1998 without the help of a GPS. My wife had one of those big Rand MaCnally map books and acted as navigator. I can remember traveling through large cities on 4 and 6 lane interstates and all of sudden she says we have to exit here. Normally I would be in the 3rd lane from the right. I can remember a time we were stopping to eat somewhere and she asked me to just pull in the parking lot and drop her off and then find somewhere to park. Well, our Dodge truck and 37’ 5th wheel took up most of driving lane in the lot. I noticed people were starting to gather at the windows to see how this scenario was going to play out. I had to jackknife the trailer to get around the corners. I parked down the road and joined the wife and asked her what was going on. She said some of the patrons were taking bets on whether I would make it out of the lot without damaging several vehicles.
As far as either packing too much or forgetting to bring some essential item; yes to both. But our motto was we can always buy what we need when we get there.

 

[Jayflight]

Re: her favorite open carry weapon "YOU ARE GOING TO SLEEP WITH DOG TONIGHT"

I don't see the problem here.

Oh but that morning breath

 

[Oldgator73]

Oh but that morning breath

Yeah, I’m sure your morning breath gagged the poor dog.

 

[Skookum]

We leave the bickering at home. We usually agree on what to bring, and if it fits, it flies, no problem! Both of us know how to back a rig and provide appropriate spotting. No stress, easy does it. It's funny to watch other couples sometimes, though.

The only place we get in trouble is what to eat for dinner. What do you want? Well, I don't know, what do you want?

 

[Jayflight]

We leave the bickering at home. We usually agree on what to bring, and if it fits, it flies, no problem! Both of us know how to back a rig and provide appropriate spotting. No stress, easy does it. It's funny to watch other couples sometimes, though.

The only place we get in trouble is what to eat for dinner. What do you want? Well, I don't know, what do you want?

Bickering? Not hardly, we laugh at and with each other after 50 plus years of being together. We know exactly the routine. And hopefully if and when we get serious and able about our next journey, the conversation will probably be the same, with a couple more laughs as hopefully we have a bunch more rotations around the sun, or as the sun rotates around the Earth. I bet there can be a lengthy conversation on that too, for fun and for the kicks of a few chuckles as I am once again told that I am wrong, you know..

Of course I missed out on the other conversation of who will get the last word.

 

[Kirk]

The only place we get in trouble is what to eat for dinner. What do you want? Well, I don't know, what do you want?

Or worse yet, what restaurant do you want to go to? Anywhere you wish, dear?

Not hardly, we laugh at and with each other after 50 plus years of being together. We know exactly the routine.

We just reached 60 years last month and there are occasional bumps in the road, but that is just life. Woe betide the person who might say something negative about one of us within earshot of the other one!

 

[Oldgator73]

Never any arguments when getting the rig in place and set up. Never any arguments about what to eat. Anything she cooks is okay with me. It’s all good. But we do argue. And it’s usually about stupid stuff but 10 minutes later we’ve moved one. It’ll be 50 years next month.

 

[DutchmenSport]

Is it just my imagination or do people who travel with RV's have longer successful marriages than people who do not?

My wife's favorite expression: "Go ahead dear, you can start without me!" (37 years, 38 in March).

 

[Oldgator73]

The biggest detriment to marriage is divorce.

 

[Jayflight]

Both of us have made a public pack. We both have committed to never training another person, if something happens for whatever reason.

 

[Boat Bum]

We stay together (36 married) just to spite all those who said it'd never last!

 

[CityGuy]

Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled: "Love is the will to extend one's self for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual well being."

 

[Kirk]

Is it just my imagination or do people who travel with RV's have longer successful marriages than people who do not?

That is something that I noticed as soon as we began to spend time in areas that have a lot of snowbirds and fulltimers. I have come to suspect that the reason is that the same compatibilities that make for a long marriage also make it easier to live for long periods of time in the small spaces of an RV, in harmony.

 

[Bob C]

My wife and I sometimes argue very loudly. I should have known that a German marrying an Italian/German could get noisy. We have been together for close to 40 years with no intentions of changing. I love that little "I"talian. Calling her that can start an good natured fight.

 

[JudyJB]

Ah! The joys of living and traveling alone!!!

I get to back into my spot without anyone commenting, and I even get to choose the TV channel without any discussion. I also eat what I want when I want. Pure bliss.

 

[Jayflight]

We stay together (36 married) just to spite all those who said it'd never last!

We have friends that continue to say that my bride has banked two gold stars for her forehead when she reaches the pearly gates.

Ah! The joys of living and traveling alone!!!

I get to back into my spot without anyone commenting, and I even get to choose the TV channel without any discussion. I also eat what I want when I want. Pure bliss.

Nothing wrong with that,, I know a lot of single folks that are very content with their single ways.

 

[Oldgator73]

and I even get to choose the TV channel without any discussion.

Funny thing. We have a Vizio TV in the den and one in the kitchen. Our den chairs used to be close together then she purchased a new chair and we are too far apart to share the remote. I got the Vizio remote from the kitchen and now we each have one. I was flipping through channels the other day and all of a sudden the channels start flipping back. Then I flipped back again and my wife starts yelling “What’s wrong with the TV”. You take it from there.

 

[Jayflight]

My wife and I sometimes argue very loudly. I should have known that a German marrying an Italian/German could get noisy. We have been together for close to 40 years with no intentions of changing. I love that little "I"talian. Calling her that can start an good natured fight.

LOL, On somewhat of a different angle, a quick story that you may relate to about my German decent wife's family which was locked into German Potato salad on every holiday, they held their formula close to their chests. So close that when some of the offspring would attempt to fix it, it always turned out to be a complete failure.

We got together several years ago with one of her cousins and served it. Of course we had the correct way to make it the way that her Mother made it and it was delicious. Well after the dishes were done we sat down and began to talk about it. At that time they learned that they had been making it completely wrong for decades with a missing main ingredient.